If I Loved You To Death
by maxy-chan
Summary: What will happen when Kenshin's girlfried Tomoe dies in a car accident? Can his best friend Kaoru help him, before he drowns in his own sense of guilt and self-reproach?
1. Prologue

Hey! Guess who? It's Rurouni-maxi again! This is my second story already! I'm so very sorry that this chapter is so short, but it's just a prologue… I'll update soon! (I hope…)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin!

Well, enjoy!

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_**If I Loved You To Death**_

_Chapter 1_

_Prologue_

Kenshin and Kaoru had always been friends.

When they were little kids, a year or 3, they met.

Kaoru and her father had moved from a big house to a smaller house, because her mother died of a deathly disease.

Kenshin, the boy next door, was playing all alone on the sidewalk, and saw the removal trucks ride from and to the house next to his, with great interest. He had never seen such large cars before. Then he saw a little raven-haired girl, maybe a little younger than himself, but not much, stepping out of a car, holding her father's hand tightly.

The man saw Kenshin and said to the girl: "Hey, Kaoru-chan! There is a boy your age! Go meet him!" and the girl watched the boy with big, scared eyes. But there was also curiosity in her eyes.

'What a funny boy! He has such funny hair!' she thought.

"Okay, Papa!" she said cheerfully and walked to the funny-haired boy.

"Konnichiwa, I'm Kaoru Kamiya," the girl said and offered her hand to help him up. The boy took it.

"Konnichiwa, Kaoru-chan! My name is Kenshin Himura," the boy said and smiled, "Did you just come to live here?"

"Hai!" Kaoru said.

"Naze?" Kenshin asked. He was just a kid, he didn't knew he shouldn't have asked that.

"Because my... my mother died…" Kaoru said, a little less cheerful and she sighed. She didn't quite understand what that was, dying, but she knew her mother went on a trip and she never came back. "Do you know what that is?"

"Nani?" Kenshin asked.

"Dying… Do you know what that is?" Kaoru asked again.

"Hai… my parents died, too… they fell asleep and never woke up," Kenshin said and looked at the ground.

"Oh… I'm sorry… with who do you live, then?" Kaoru asked, as she lay her hand on Kenshin's back to comfort him.

"With my foster father, Hiko Seijuro. My father knew him well," Kenshin said, "But you shouldn't be sorry, I never knew my parents."

"Oh… well, do you have any friends out here?" Kaoru changed the subject.

"No… I know some kids, but we really aren't friends…" Kenshin looked to the ground.

"What do you mean?" Kaoru asked, her head bent to the side.

"Well… um… they tease me a lot, because of my red hair… they think it's weird or something..." Kenshin said and pulled his hair a little.

"Oh… well I think it's very cute!" Kaoru said and stroke it.

"Thanks!" Kenshin said and he got little sparks in his lavender eyes.

"So… wanna play hide and seek?" Kaoru asked.

"Yeah, why not?" Kenshin said and tagged Kaoru, "Tag! You're it!"

They both laughed and Kenshin ran away, Kaoru following him.

From that day on, they were friends.

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Rurouni-maxi: Well, I told you! That was really short.  
I made Kenshin and Kaoru of about the same age as each other. So this doesn't have to do anything with the series, except for the characters and their personalities.  
Oh, yeah, this FanFic takes place in our time, so nothing with the dojo and samurai and stuff…

Don't forget to review, please! Just drag your mouse to that little pink button, and…. CLICK IT! It won't bite, you know!

Well, see ya in the next chappie!


	2. A New Guy And A Plan

Rurouni-maxi: I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, SO sorry for sucking at updating! (thinks of a bearable excuse) Um… the story was on the wrong computer! No, that's no good excuse… Um… gaah, never mind… stone me, if you like…but read this chapter first! (I'm imitating Watsuki right now :P)

Disclaimer Guy: Hey! I'm Bob!

Rurouni-maxi and Kenshin: Oh shut up, just do your thing… puh-lease!

Disclaimer guy: Spoilsports!

World: (waving with pitchforks and torches) Just do what you have to do, puh-lease!

Disclaimer guy: (squeaks) Um… Rurouni-maxi doesn't own Rurouni Kenshin?

Rurouni-maxi: (pats Disclaimer guy on the head) Good Disclaimer guy, yes you are yes you ahaaare…

Kenshin: Whoo, freaky… On with the story, de gozaru yo!

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_**Chapter 2**_

Kenshin and Kaoru have always been friends.

Even in kindergarten and primary school they were inseparable, though Kenshin was teased a lot because of his oh so "idiotic hair", as they formulated it so well.

But Kaoru always defended him, and they left them alone after Kaoru had slapped a boy in the face when they were about 8 years old. She did have detention after that, but Kenshin reported himself, by saying it was his fault, so they both got detention.

"We're in this together, we'll always be together," Kenshin explained, smiling.

Because Kenshin and Kaoru were good students and forgave everyone, they became quite popular.

Some kids thought it was weird that a boy and a girl could be best friends. Boys and girls should only be in love with each other, or leave each other alone. So they should be in love.

"We're just friends… you could say we're like brother and sister," they answered shrugging, every time one asked.

And because they were so nice, everyone let them be.

Kenshin and Kaoru did almost everything together. They walked to school, they made projects and homework together, they were classmates, seatmates, and so on, and so on…

They told everything to each other: problems with their (foster) fathers, crushes, deep secrets… _everything_.

But in high school, Kenshin and Kaoru were separated from each other. They were only in a few classes with each other, and it really hurt them at first.

But, they still could spend lunchtime together, and after school, they hang out with their shared friends club in the mall or in the park.

Times changed, and Kenshin and Kaoru grew apart a little. They got more other friends. And Kenshin grew to a very handsome young man, and thus quite popular with the girls. They always hang around him, which really irritated Kaoru, because he had dates with several girls and he didn't spent much time with Kaoru anymore.

Every time he told her he couldn't hang out with her or something, a little piece of Kaoru's heart broke.

"_WHAT _did he say!" Kaoru's best friend Misao said once, during lunch, with disbelief in her voice.

"Yeah… he couldn't hang out with us _again…_" Kaoru sighed and rolled her eyes. They landed on Kenshin, who was talking to Tomoe, a much prettier girl than her. She used to tease them, so what the hell was he doing with her?

"So, he's actually saying he doesn't have time for you anymore?" Misao said.

"Yeah, he did, didn't he?" Kaoru said a little panicky, "Yes, he did! And for all those other girls? Of course he has time for them! They are all much prettier than me! But who wants to hang out with me, another tomboy…"

She laid her head in her arms on the table in frustration.

"Hormones, hormones…" Kaoru's other best friend, Megumi, said while she sat down next to Kaoru, patting her back.

"Hormones, my ass! After all she has done for him? No way that's ever going to be an excuse!" Misao said, trying not to shout through the school canteen.

"No, it isn't, but you can't blame Kenshin for all those girls! I don't know if you noticed, Kaoru, but Kenshin has grown to be a really handsome guy, you know?" Megumi said as she knitted one eyebrow and she looked at Kenshin, who was now actually _flirting_ with Tomoe

"Don't… even… think about it!" Kaoru said as she pushed Megumi playfully.

"Wow, relax… I was only joking! You know my heart belongs to… Sanosuke…" Megumi sighed his name and she waved a little cute wave to Sano, who was sitting a few tables further with his friends.

"Look at that Kenshin flirting again!" Kaoru exclaimed to her friends as she was sitting cross-armed, madly looking at Kenshin, "C'mon, it's Tomoe, for Kami's sake!"

Kaoru hated her, she was always hanging around Kenshin, and he actually _liked_ it, you could tell that from his face. Every time Kaoru said anything about it, Kenshin just said he liked Tomoe a lot, and became a little mad at her.

"Ooh… I think we've got someone jealous over here…" Misao said as she poked Kaoru's arm.

"No I'm not! But look who's over there with Aoshi!" Kaoru said as she pointed to Misao's crush with her elbow still on the table.

"Who… is… that!" Misao said, putting one foot on the lunch table and pulling her sleeve up, ready to scratch the eyes out of the face of the girl who was walking to Aoshi.

"My my… look who's jealous over here?" Kaoru said as she poked Misao back, "And it was no one… Just _another_ girl from Kenshin's "fan club", it seems…" she continued sarcastically as the girl walked past Aoshi straight to Kenshin. "But hello! I'm the one who has a problem here! How do I make Kenshin see I want just a little attention from _his_ side…?"

Misao calmed down and sat down, starting to jab in her food, thinking of an answer.

Megumi awakened from her besotted glare to Sano and started to think also, with a hand under her head.

Kaoru laid her head in her arms on the table again, hoping the answer would just _plop_ out the table in front of her or something. It kept quiet.

"There it is!" Megumi said after a while, pointing her index finger up.

"What? Where?" Misao and Kaoru asked dumbly, following Megumi's finger to the ceiling.

"No, not that, you idiots!" Megumi said, "I've found an idea to make Kenshin notice Kaoru again! I've read it in a magazine! But wait… first, let ustest if it really works!"

Megumi stood up and walked to a cute guy and started to talk with him, pointing a few times at Kaoru. Step two was that she pretended to be flirting with him, and as she planned, Sano put his head up like he got a sign from someone. He looked around until he found Megumi, flirting with someone else than him! He stood up quickly and stood next to Megumi in no-time. He pushed the other boy out of sight and leaned against the wall next to Megumi. It seemed like he said something nice or funny, because Megumi smiled and nodded cheerful. She said something back,waved him good-bye, and walked back to the lunch table with a yay-mission-accomplished-smile on her face. She sat back down next to Kaoru and Misao, who had watched all this with mouths that hadfallen openwiderevery moment they hadwatched Megumi in action.

"What are you so happy about?" Kaoru asked, rubbing against her jaw that hurt from falling open so wide.

"I just got myself a date with Sano," Megumi said and smiled even more, enjoying herself a lot.

"And… what has that got to do with me and Kenshin?" Kaoru asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it's simple! You're jealous, and you know it, Kao, and if you can't get his attention nicely, make him jealous also! He'll notice his love for you also, he drops the heartthrob act, falls straight into your arms and you'll live happily ever after…" Megumi said with sigh.

"Um… for your information: we are NOT in love and I just want to hang out with him again more often. I think you're making a story for you and Sano, not for me and Kenshin," Kaoru said, poking Megumi's cheek.

"Oh… my… Kami! That plan is SO wonderful!" Misao said as she jump-hugged Megumi, as from the shadows, "Do you think it'll work with me and Aoshi?" she asked and released Megumi, who fell on the ground with swirly eyes.

"Um… I'm not trying to be rude… but no. He's too cold for that…" Kaoru said, preparing for a crying outburst from Misao. But she had already ran away to make a pass at a boy who had just walked in, but had run out after seeing a hyper Misao running after him.

"Geez…" Megumi and Kaoru sighed with sweatdrops.

"But do you really think this will work with Kenshin? I mean… what if he doesn't get jealous? And most important: _who _is going to be the guy I'm going to make him jealous with?" Kaoru asked.

"I already took care of that," Megumi said cheerful with a wink.

"Wow, where did you get your energy from? We just had maths, remember?" Kaoru asked, with a freaked-out look on her face.

"That new coke, it says there is no sugar in it, but I really think they've put double sugar in it! But ehm… that guy I was just talking to..?" Megumi hoped Kaoru would remember him.

"Um… yeah, what about him?"

"Do youlike him?"

"Dunno… he's kinda cute, I guess…" Kaoru said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Good! His name is Seta Soujiro, he's new here, you have French and science classes with both him and Kenshin, and you have a date this Friday!"

"Wow, wow, wow, wow, WOW… so you're just saying I've got a date with someone I don't even know!" Kaoru said, putting her hands up.

"Um… yes? Well, anyway, he thinks you look likea nice girl as just a friend, I told him what it was for, and he's okay with that. He thought my idea would work in his advantage, too, because he wants to know the school and the city a little better, so this is _too_ perfect! Just see it as a blind date, or something…"

"But I don't like blind dates… it makes you feel so… desperate…" Kaoru said.

"Well, you are, aren't you? Well, anyway, if you don't like it, just go and meet him, then it won't be 'blind' anymore!"

"Okay… you just go… chat up with Sano, or something, or couple Misao to someone…" Kaoru said as she stood up.

"Nothing less from me, huh! Seta's at the administration to fill in some papers," Megumi said as she stood up also.

"Okay! Ja ne! (see you later!)" Kaoru said over her shoulder as she walked to the exit at the other side of the canteen.

"Ja ne!" Megumi greeted back and walked up to Sano.

'I wonder if he's nice… I hope so… well, anyway, he looked nice… Kenshin has such a cute smile…' Kaoru stood still abruptly, 'Wow… wait a minute… did I just think that? NO FREAKIN WAY! Oh no, he's looking at me! No, don't look back, Kaoru, ignore him! What was I thinking… Soujiro has a cute smile, not Kenshin!' Kaoru taught herself as she walked past Kenshin, who was trying to make eye-contact with her. She ignored him, but had to blink a few times to push away the tears when she was out of the canteen.

She walked through the long, white, empty halls, wondering if Megumi's plan would work.

When she just stepped into the hall with the door of the administration office in it, a boy with dark hair and a smile painted on his face stepped out of that door. It was Seta Soujiro.

"Um, hey," Kaoru said, a little shy. He was a cutie, after all.

"Oh, hey, miss Kamiya, right?" Soujiro asked, with a smile, of course.

"Yes, but please, Kaoru's okay. Miss Kamiya makes me sound like my mother…" Kaoru said, waving her hands in front of her.

"Oh, hahaha. Okay, Kaoru, if you just call me Soujiro," Soujiro laughed.

"Okay. So… my friend kinda 'coupled' us, right?" Kaoru said as she wiggled on her feet. It was a _weird_ situation, that's for sure.

"Yeah, but I also know what it's for. That Kenshin-person, he doesn't sound very nice…" Soujiro said, making a move with his arm that said 'let's walk around'.

"Oh, but he _is_! He's like a brother to me! Only… he doesn't have much time for me lately…" Kaoru said with a sigh, leading Soujiro outside.

"So, how long do you know each other, actually?" Soujiro asked as they sat down on a bench.

"Um… we met when wewere 3, andwe're 17 right now… so that makes it… almost 14 years!" Kaoru said, surprised she knew Kenshin for such a long time.

"Well, that is a pretty long time," Soujiro said, also surprised.

_BEEP_

The school bell rang, which meant it was time for the next class.

"What class are you in now?" Kaoru asked.

"Um… let's see…" Soujiro looked at his timetable, "French."

"Hey, me too!" Kaoru said. Well, Megumi's plan came into effect right then.

They walked to class together.

"Our little act starts here, okay?" Kaoru whispered in Soujiro's ear.

"Yeah, leave it all to me, just play your part," Soujiro said and they walked through the class door.

_To Be Continued_

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Rurouni-maxi: Hate it? Love it? Lemme know! I hope it was worth the long wait! I'm alsohoping to update very soon, because I want to torture the Disclaimer Guy again! You know why? Because he always ruins my dream of owning Rurouni Kenshin! But, hello girls, who doesn't want to own those !CUTIES! of, just for examples,a Kenshin and a Soujiro? I almost diedwhile watchingepisode 37, when these two cuties fought! Yay, that was so cute!

Kenshin: Nooo! Don't say that word anymore, that you don't!

Rurouni-maxi: (glares with an evil smile at Kenshin) …

Kenshin: (gulps) Oro?

Rurouni-maxi: YOUUUU… AAAARE… SUUUUCH… AAAA… CUTIE, CUTIE, CUTIE, CUTIE, CUTIE, CUTIE!

Kenshin: NOOOO! OROOOOOO?

Kaoru: Hey! I'm the only one who may call Kenshin 'cute', you know!

Kenshin: Eeps! That word again, that is...

Megumi: No, I am!

Rurouni-maxi, Kaoru and Megumi: (puppy-eyes-glare at Kenshin) Kenshiiiin?

Kenshin: (gulps again at the three approaching girls) Oro? Um… a little help here, please?

Rurouni-maxi: I've got to convince Kenshin I'm the only one who can call him cute now! Reviews please! Ja ne!


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